Mechanically hinged snow shoe



Oct. 3, 1967 w` MAsslcoTTE 3344,538

MECHANICALLY HINGED SNOW SHOE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 5, 1966 United States Patent O 3,344,538 MECHANICALLY HINGED SNOW SHOE William Massicotte, Box 103, Wawa, Ontario, Canada Filed Dec. 5, 1966, Ser. No. 599,186 6 Claims. (Cl. 36-4.5)

This invention relates generally to snow footgear, especially mechanically hinged snow shoes. More specifically it relates to snow shoes for use in walking over deep soft snow and prevent a person from sinking thereinto.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a snow shoe having an improved hitch means for securing a shoe thereto.

Another object is to provide a snow shoe wherein the wearefs foot is freely pivota'ble about a singular transverse axis below the ball of the foot and wherein the heel is fully free from securernent to the snow shoe thereby permitting greater freedom of foot movement than is possible with conventi-onal foot securement means upon snow shoes.

Yet another object is to provide an improved snow shoe which is instantly attachable and releasable relative to a shoe.

Another object is to provide an improved snow shoe wherein there is no lateral play such as is present in use on leather thongs or the like thereby better assuring against possibility of getting a part of one snow shoe over the other during walking and causing a person thus to fall.

Yet another object is to provide a snow shoe which is mechanically hinged to a wearer`s shoe.

Other objects are to provide an improved snow shoe that is simple in design, ineXpensive to man'ufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and eflicient in operation.

These and other objectsvwill be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a snow shoe incorporating the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view thereof taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE '2A is -a fragmentary view similar to FIG- URE 2, showing a modified construction,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detail view of the lock unit shown in a locking position,

FIGURE 6 is a detail view of the lock unit in unlocked position mounted on a modified shape of mounting plate,

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing a modified construction,

FIGURE 8 is a cross sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 9 is a cross sectional view taken on line 9-9 of FIGURE 6,

FIGURE 10 is a top plan view 'of another modified design of the snow shoe,

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 11-11 of FIGURE 10,

FIGURE 12 is a side View similar to FIGURE 2, and showing a modified construction,

FIGURE 13 is a perspective view of a strap pad used in FIGURE 12,

FIGURE 14 is a bottom plan view of the snow shoe shown in FIGURE 10,

FIGURE 15 is a plan view of yet another modified shoe support construction,

3,344,538 Patented Oct. 3, 1967 FIGURE 16 is a similar view of yet another shoe support construction, and

FIGURE 17 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 17-17 of FIGURE 16.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 10 represents an improved snow shoe according to the present invention wherein there is a snow shoe member 11 adaptable to receive and hold a special shoe 12.

The snow shoe includes a peripheral frame 13 made of seasoned woods for supporting a woven mesh 14 of catgut or the like to provide a light br-oad supporting surface over the top of snow. In the present device, a forward traverse cross lbeam 15 preferably of light weight sheet metal is afiixed to opposite sides of the frame 13, and serves as a base upon which there is secured a lock plate 16 and a block 17.

The lock plate 16 secured by rivets 18 to the cross beam 15 has a lock unit 19 welded upon the upper side thereof. As shown in FIGURE 4, the lock unit includes a tubular housing 20 having a central opening 21 within which a sliding lock bolt 22 is slidably retained by means of a radial pin 23 guided within a U-shaped slot 24 on the housing. A transverse screw 25 retains the pin 23 in the bolt. An angular lever arm 26 integral with the bolt 22 l.protrudes out lof one side of the opening 21 providing a Imeans for manually sliding the bolt between a locked and unlocked position. A compression coil spring 27 wound around the angular arm within the housing bears 'against one end of the bolt and against a threaded nut 28 secured into one end of opening 21. An opening 29 through the nut 28 allows free rotational and longitudinal movement of the arm 26 therein. The opposite end of the bolt 'has terminal portion 30 of reduced diameter separated by a shoulder 31 from the portion 32 of the bolt.

The block 17 secured by vets 331 to the cross beam includes a laterally extending stub shaft 34 integral therewith.

The shoe 12 comprises a member having an upper 35, a sole 36 and heel 37. The upper is made of a urethane foam 38 covered on the inner and outer sides by a fiberglass 39. The sole 36 has a vblock 40 aflixed on its underside made of leather, rubber or the like, the block 40 having a transverse metal sleeve 41 therethrough for receiving the stub shaft 34 and terminal portion 30 of the bolt 22.

The snow shoe has additionally a rearward transverse cross beam 42 having a flat portion 43 preferably of leather, Wood or sheet metal which serves as a rest for the heel 37.

In operative use, the lock bolt is withdrawn outwardly 'to allow placement of the shoe 12 upon the snow shoe 11 with the sleeve 41 between the block 17 and lock unit, the sleeve being in alignment 'to receive the stub shaft 34 and portion 30 of the bolt. As shown in FIGURE 4, a space 44 is provided to allow admittance of the sleeve between the stub shaft and retracted bolt after which the shoe 12 is moved sidewardly so as to receive the sleeve 41 over the stub shaft. The lever arm 26 is then moved to introduce the bolt portion 30 into the opposite side of the sleeve. Thus the shoe is secured to the snow shoe ready for use. It will be noted that an opening 45 in mesh 14 allows clearance for the toe 46 of the shoe during extreme foot movement.

In a modified construction shown in FIGURE 7, the space 44 is eliminated to prevent the necessity of lateral shoe movement for engagement on the stub shaft. In the construction shown there is a lock unit 47 on each side of the snow shoe thereby providing slidable bolts 48 on each side to enter .the shoe sleeve 41. The bolts 48 in this construction have no shoulder in view that there is no need to arrest any side travel of the shoe 11 such as is necessary in the construction shown in FIGURE 4.

In operative use the shoe 11 is thus hinge connected to the snow shoe for eflicient relative movement.

As shown in FIGURE 2A, a modified shoe 46a includes a sole 36a of suflicient thickness so to include a transverse opening 41a therethrough. In this construction, the shoe has an advantage over the shoe shown in FIGURE 2, in view that it has no downward projecting part from the sole thereof, thus permitting the shoe to be used for also walking when not attached to the snow shoe.

In FIGURES 11 and 14 a snow shoe 50 is shown that incorporates a central opening 51 for receiving the forward part of a shoe and shoe support, and opening 52 for receiving a heel portion thereof; the openings 51 and 52 being spaced apart by a transverse rib 53 integrally formed with lthe snow shoe. The rib 53 includes a linear ridge 54 a-t its apex that serves as a fulcrum for a shoe during walking operation. The underside 55 has a ribbed pattern 56 to provide frictional hold in all directions while walking over snow.

In FIGURE 12 a shoe or boot support 60 is shown that includes upstanding plates 61 and 62 on each side of the support, for arresting sideward movement of a shoe 63 and for securing straps 64 and 65 which pass over the shoe 66. A pad 67 of soft material shown in FIGURE 13 may be fitted between the shoe and straps to eliminate any pressure discomfort by the straps to the wearer. Slots 68 in the pad are for the purpose of receiving the straps therethrough. The support 60 includes a bracket with transverse opening 69 for receiving a pin 70, shown in FIGURE 16, for pivotal securement to bearing plates 71 secured on opposite sides of opening 51.

As shown in FIGURE 15, the shoe support 72 may include only one set of upstanding plates 73 for receiving a heel strap, and the forward part of a shoe 74 may be permanently affixed to a plate 75 on the underside of the support.

The novel features and the operation of this device will be apparent from the foregoing description. While the device has been shown and the structure described in detail, it is obvious that this is not to be considered limited to the exact form disclosed, and that changes may be made therein within the scope and the spirit of the invention.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mechanically hinged snow shoe assembly, a snow shoe for placement upon the surface of snow and a shoe attachment for connecting a wearer's foot covering to the snow shoe; the snow shoe having a frame, a mesh across the frame, a forward and a rearward cross beam, a slide bolt assembly `consisting of a plate secured to the forward cross beam, a tubular housing secured to said plate such that the housing is disposed transversely to the snow shoe, a slide bolt in said tubular housing, an angular arm integral with said slide bolt, a pin extending from said slide bolt and cooperating with a U-shaped slot in said housing and a compression spring located between the slide bolt and the housing to bias the slide bolt in a looking position, and a heel pad on the rearward cross beam; the shoe attachment having a transverse sleeve which can co-operate with the slide bolt to form a hinged connection between the shoe attachment and the snow shoe.

2. The snow shoe assembly as in claim 1, wherein said slide bolt co-operates with one end of said sleeve and a stub shaft secured on the forward cross beam co-operates with the other end of said sleeve.

3. The snow shoe assembly as in claim 1, wherein said slide bolt co-operates with one end of said sleeve and a further slide bolt assembly is secured to said forward cross beam such that the other end of said sleeve can co-operate with the slide bolt of said further slide bolt assembly.

4. The snow shoe assembly as in lclaim 1, wherein a central opening forward of the forward cross beam is provided in the snow shoe to receive 'the toe portion of the wearers foot covering.

5. The snow shoe assembly as in claim 1, wherein the shoe attachment is an integral part of the wearefs foot covering.

6. The snow shoe assembly as in claim 1, wherein the snow shoe is radially ribbed on its underside.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 982,053 1/1911 Haefer 36-4.5 2,615,260 10/1952 Paden 36-45 2,769,250 11/1956 Rinkinen 36-4.5 3,052,046 9/1962 Kramer 36-9 3,060,600 10/1962 Howe 36-4.5

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examner. 

1. IN A MECHANICALLY HINGED SNOW SHOE ASSEMBLY, A SNOW SHOE FOR PLACEMENT UPON THE SURFACE OF SNOW AND A SHOE ATTACHMENT FOR CONNECTING A WEARING''S FOOT COVERING TO THE SNOW SHOE; THE SNOW SHOE HAVING A FRAME, A MESH ACROSS THE FRAME, A FORWARD AND A REARWARD CROSS BEAM, A SLIDE BOLT ASSEMBLY CONSISTING OF A PLATE SECURED TO THE FORWARD CROSS BEAM, A TUBULAR HOUSING SECURED TO SAID PLATE SUCH THAT THE HOUSING IS DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY TO THE SNOW SHOE, A SLIDE BOTH IN SAID TUBULAR HOUSING, AN ANGULAR ARM INTEGRAL WITH SAID SLIDE BOLT, A PIN EXTENDING FROM SAID SLIDE BOLT AND COOPERATING WITH A U-SHAPED SLOT IN SAID HOUSING AND A COMPRESSION SPRING LOCATED BETWEEN THE SLIDE BOLT AND THE HOUSING TO BIAS THE SLIDE BOLT IN A LOCKING POISTION, AND A HEEL PAD ON THE REARWARD CROSS BEAM; THE SHOE ATTACHMENT HAVING A TRANSVERSE SLEEVE WHICH CAN CO-OPERATE WITH THE SLIDE BOLT TO FORM A HINGED CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SHOE ATTACHMENT AND THE SNOW SHOE. 